


Liesmith

by Infinimay



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bartender Deceit, Fear, G/T, Gen, Lies, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Swearing, imp!logan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25378474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinimay/pseuds/Infinimay
Summary: Janus is a bartender, who happens to notice that some guests aren't necessarily human. A lesson on the dangers- and benefits- of lying to literally everyone you meet.Happy birthday, vel- hope you like it!
Relationships: Deceit | Janus Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 18
Kudos: 175





	Liesmith

**Author's Note:**

  * For [logicsix (r3voluti0ns)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/r3voluti0ns/gifts).



*

The chatter in the bar was a dull noise in the background, and as Janus cleaned the glass he held, he couldn’t help but observe the patrons. The people at the end of the bar were particularly shifty, tonight, and they kept looking over to him with smug, knowing smiles.

So, overall, it had been a fairly normal evening.

Working as a bartender was, in itself, unremarkable. Yes, he made fancy drinks with additional flourishes and tricks for tips, as all good sellouts would. Yes, he called the cops for the occasional bar fight, but that hardly ever happened. It was, in itself, boring work- and in all honesty, it didn’t even pay that well.

But, despite how mundane his job description was, there was something about working in this _particular_ bar that was different. It was the way that some of the regulars spoke in code, or shared shifty glances with one another- as if their very presence at the hole-in-the-wall establishment was a sin.

Now, Janus wasn’t one to judge- he couldn’t really say that he was free of sin, either- but it was a bit weird. They used different codes every other day, depending on the most _absurd_ factors, but he’d identified their pattern, and he could communicate with them… somehow.

“The stars look nice tonight, huh?”

Janus looked up, a small, knowing smile on his face. He put the clean glass down and folded the rag he was using. He mentally calculated for a few moments, and recalled the code phrase for the first Thursday of the month. “I’ve been waiting for the moon, actually- the stars have had their time.”

The stranger laughed softly and took a seat at the bar, grinning widely. He had a strange handlebar mustache, which appeared to have been dyed acid green on the tips. He had high, sharp cheekbones, and his clothes were a strange ensemble of (vaguely) punk fashion. “So, you’re the guy that I’ve been hearing so much about… You can call me Remus, babe.”

“You may call me Janus,” the bartender responded automatically, recognizing that he’d done well when the man smiled just a bit wider. It was another strange code that the group used- they gave their real names, but never ‘gave’ them. “May I interest you in a drink? Your friends seemed like they were interested, too.”

He was referring to the group at the end of the bar, all of whom had some color of green paraphernalia. Sometimes it was a ring, or a tongue piercing- in one case, it was a single, painted fingernail. Either way, he’d noticed, but Remus’s widening eyes revealed that he was, apparently, not supposed to have known about that.

“Huh… You know, I get why they’ve been giving you those crazy nicknames, now,” Remus mused, looking Janus up and down appreciatively. “One of my guys said that you can just _tell_ who belongs with who. Haven’t ever seen somethin’ like _that_ before.”

Janus accepted the thinly veiled compliment with a grain of salt- it wasn’t difficult to tell ‘who belonged with who,’ considering the fact that they all had the same strange habits. Their ways of speaking, dressing, even exchanging tense glances across the bar.

He was starting to think that they were just a particularly stupid cult, actually.

“I can only hope that I may continue to amaze you, then,” Janus said with a smirk, picking up another dirty glass to clean. He almost missed the quiet hum that Remus let escape from his throat.

“Yeah… Tell you what, I’ll take that drink, Seer,” the mustached man said with a matching grin, and he glanced to the shelves behind Janus. Thankfully, he had missed the subtle twitch of the bartender’s eyebrows at the new term- Seer. “Hmmm… I don’t suppose I could get a martini, could I?”

“That depends- did you choose a martini just to see me use the shaker?” Janus asked with a raised brow, and when the man immediately went pink, he laughed. “Of course, it’s not a problem. Any preferences for the gin?”

“Nah, I’m an easy customer. Just wanna know a bit more about you, actually.”

Janus snorted at that, grabbing the ingredients with a practiced ease. With how slow the evening was, he didn’t have to worry about anyone else at the moment, so he took his time making the drink. “I’m not a terribly interesting person, really. What do you want to know?”

He glanced up at Remus once more, only to realize that the man seemed… different. Less carefree, he realized, and there was a look in his eyes that didn’t match the jovial nature that the bartender had detected. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, and the smile was back.

“How about just the business, here, in general? You see a lot of people, that must be _exciting_.” As Remus spoke, Janus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Whatever he’d said, it was a mistake- and he needed to correct it, soon. He considered the fact that he’d been open, yet had denied the initial request- or maybe they didn’t like self-deprecation? It would require more study.

“I do see quite a few people, yes. Some are fun, some are quiet… A lot of them are mundane, but there’s an art to noticing things,” Janus said absentmindedly as he poured the gin and vermouth into the shaker, his eyes scouring the shelf for a better lemon than the one he’d initially found. With this group, every detail mattered. “Everyone that comes through here is extraordinary, in their own ways.”

“Oh, really?” Remus asked curiously, leaning slightly closer. Janus glanced up at him, and realized that his eyes were much darker than he’d initially assumed. “How so?”

“Well… Aside from our _group_ ,” Janus started slowly, choosing his words carefully, “there’s a few regulars that are pretty much loners. One of them always sits in the booth in the far corner, and he just draws. Sketches of people, places, things, all that- he’s done a few of me, before. He always has these bags under his eyes, like a raccoon, almost, and I’m starting to think that he comes here because he can’t sleep without a drink.”

“...you really do notice a lot,” Remus remarked quietly, blinking slowly. His eyes were back to a bright green. Contacts, perhaps? “What about the less remarkable ones, though? Are they even _worth_ noticing?”

“In this line of work, _everything_ is worth noticing,” Janus said mindfully, a frown on his face. He turned back to the counter and poured everything into the shaker, securing the lid in place. “It’s important to watch out for everyone here, and to notice their habits. It doesn’t happen often, but I’ve caught some scumbags trying to drug people’s drinks. It may not seem like much, but if I can prevent something horrible from happening, then I’m going to do it.”

He’d just finished shaking the drink when he finally met Remus’s eyes again- and that same smile from before was back. He’d passed the test, and he relaxed slightly, content that he wouldn’t fall victim to whatever kind of cult this guy was a part of. Maybe he was a high ranking member of the cult?

“You know, that’s pretty cool. I never knew how important that would be, but that makes sense… Thanks for the drink, babe, am I cool to pay at the end of the night?” The mustached man asked, accepting the glass with a smile.

“That’s fine, I can write it down- and don’t you try to leave with a tab open, or I’ll have to hunt you down,” Janus pretended to threaten him with a small smile, but that was undercut by Remus giving him a solemn nod.

As the man walked away and back to his group of weirdos, Janus had to take a moment to reflect. Something about Remus wasn’t _right._ A chill ran up his spine, and he let out a soft, relieved sigh- for now, it was over. He could deal with the rest later.

*

The rest of the evening passed by slowly, but around midnight, he finally brought out the ‘Closed’ sign and put it up. As the regulars shuffled out of the bar, he checked his list- and noticed that a certain, mustached man hadn’t paid his tab.

He scowled and turned to look at the door- only to find Remus, standing at the end of the bar. The rest of his group congregated around the front entrance, seemingly awaiting their leader.

“Hey, there, hot stuff,” Remus said with a wink, setting down the martini glass. Janus noted that, disturbingly, the lemon peel was gone, too. “Here to settle that tab… and maybe get your number?”

Janus snorted softly and rolled his eyes, checking how much the strange man owed. “Very tempting, Remus, but you’re not quite my type. That’ll be nine dollars and twenty-three cents-”

“Is it the mustache?” Remus asked curiously, not looking offended in the slightest. “The dye is temporary, you know! As all good things are, of _course_.”

“I just happen to like shorter guys, actually,” Janus said, recognizing the offer for what it was. He wasn’t very interested in one night stands, especially not when he suspected that the man he was speaking to was a cult leader. “And your total will be nine twenty-three, thank you, payable with cash or card.”

“Shorter guys, huh?” Remus said, a mischievous smirk on his face. After a moment, he nodded, and said, “Alright, fair enough… Here.”

He reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, eventually fishing out a wrinkled twenty dollar bill. He handed it to Janus, and said with a wink, “Keep the change, no strings attached. I’ll see you around, Jay- maybe we can people-watch together, sometime.”

Janus quirked a small, grateful smile and turned back to the bar, slipping the bill into the register. “Thank you, Remus, that’s very kind of you-”

When he looked up again, Remus and his entire posse was gone… and on the bar, there was a folded sheet of paper. 

“...how did they leave so quickly?” Janus mumbled to himself, a frown on his face. “Didn’t even hear them…”

He reached over to grab the note, only to pause as he realized that Remus had left something else, too-resting atop the paper, there was a silver ring, with a design so ugly that it looked like it had been taken straight from a children’s toy machine.

The bartender snorted, noting that the ‘gift’ was very fitting, for someone with Remus’s strange sense of humor. He put the ring aside and unfolded the note, his eyes scanning over the page with interest.

_‘It’s always nice to meet another one of our own, especially in the mundane world. Enjoy the gift, freely given- we hope that it will assist you with any future spellcasting. -Signed, Remus and the Court’_

“The _Court?_ ” Janus echoed curiously, glancing back up to the door. Now _that_ was odd… He took it in stride, though, and picked up the ring. “And _spellcasting…_?”

The ring looked cheap, but upon further inspection, it was actually a solid metal- silver, he guessed. He hummed softly and inspected the inscription on the inside of the ring, and found that it seemed to just be nonsense. He wasn’t surprised.

He rolled his eyes and tucked it into his pocket, making a mental note to check it out later. With that, he folded the note up again and stashed it with the tips he’d gathered throughout the night. He had cleaning to do.

*

Later that evening, Janus returned to his apartment. 

He trudged through the door, kicking off his shoes as he entered the threshold. He dumped his keys onto the table and yawned, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. He grabbed the crumpled bills he’d stashed away into his pocket and tossed the small stack onto the kitchen counter, pausing as he saw the note again- and remembered the ring.

He blinked and pulled the ring out of his other pocket, examining it with a tired, yet amused smile. “Man, he was a weirdo… He tipped well, though. I like that…”

The bartender frowned suddenly, noting that he’d gotten smudges on the silver surface. He held the ring to his shirt and carefully wiped away the imperfections-

And suddenly, the ring _glowed._

“...okay, what the fuc- OW!”

He threw the ring aside, swearing quietly as he rubbed his hand. His skin was marred with a bright red burn, and he glared at the ring, which was still glowing a disconcerting blue color as it bounced across the wood floor.

“Hey, just so you’re aware- I don’t give a _fuck_ about whatever magical bullshit you’re about to pull, but a warning or something would have been nice!” He snapped irritably, glaring at the ring, and hoping that it wasn’t about to sear a hole into his floor as retaliation. He didn’t want to lose his security deposit.

It _did_ occur to him that yelling at the bizarre magical artifact was, in fact, probably not the best idea he could have had, but he didn’t really care. He was tired, annoyed, and the last thing he needed was a burn on his hand… a burn that had somehow healed in the past thirty seconds.

Huh.

The ring came to a halt, glowed brighter, and the dim room was abruptly flooded with a shock of blue light. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light died away.

Janus blinked, spots hovering in his vision- and he realized that the ring was now sitting at the feet of something… weird.

There, standing at barely five inches tall, was a tiny man.

... _what?_

The more Janus stared, the more he realized how _absurd_ it was. The tiny man (this had to be it, he _must_ have lost it) wore a little, dark grey suit, with a red button-down. He was pale, in stark contrast to Janus, and he wore minuscule glasses that the bartender had almost missed upon first inspection.

He looked like a very normal guy, if not for the fact that he was five inches tall and standing on the floor of Janus’s living room.

Janus blinked, and suddenly let out a quiet, hysterical laugh. The tiny man flinched, but that didn’t stop Janus from full-on _snorting_ as he sat down on the floor, watching the tiny man from a few feet away.

“Oh my god!” Janus laughed, scooting closer to the trembling creature. He incredulously shook his head, finally beginning to calm down as reality struck him. “You… you’re _really_ real. Holy shit, I haven’t lost it, you- you’re real, and you’re _tiny…”_

The creature looked scared for a flash, but quickly seemed to compose himself, straightening out his suit jacket slowly. “You- you may call me Logan, if you wish, and my- my purpose is now to serve you, sir-“

“You’re supposed to _serve me?_ ” Janus echoed, wrinkling his nose. He looked Logan up and down, and bit back another hysterical giggle. “Yeah, that’s cute- really cute. Call me Janus, and just- hold on for a second-“

Janus reached forward and plucked Logan up, examining him closely. He held the creature (a genie or something, maybe?) in a loose fist, frowning as he looked him up and down. “Huh… wait, are those- oh my god. Are you some kind of demon, or something??”

Sure enough- poking out of Logan’s dark hair, on either side of his skull, were tiny, sharp horns.

The demon paled even further, and squirmed within Janus’s grasp. “Sir, this- this is not terribly comfortable, now please- _put me down!_ ”

“You seem to forget- who serves _who,_ again?” Janus asked teasingly, a smirk on his face as he watched the demon. Nonetheless, he put Logan down, though he was tempted to screw with the demon again. “Alright, alright, I won’t pick you up again, but you’re going to have to answer my questions. Got it?”

Logan stumbled back, almost falling down before he managed to catch himself. He straightened out his suit with a huff, and gave the human a glare- though Janus noted that the demon still seemed scared, despite the attitude. “I cannot exactly _refuse_ a request, so yes- I will answer whatever inane questions you may have.”

Janus’s eye twitched, but he ignored the annoyance. “Alright, we’ll start with an easy one- what the hell _are_ you, and how did you get in my house? And what’s the ring for??”

“That is _three_ questions-”

“And you’re going to answer _all three.”_

The demon huffed quietly, rolling his eyes, and answered, “You were correct in your initial assumption, I _am_ a demon, though I am a ‘sub-class’ of demon, commonly called an imp. I am in your house because you _summoned me,_ which is what the ring was for. Shouldn’t you know this?? I was told that I was being given to a promising new _Seer_ , not an incompetent _human_ or someth _-_ ”

Janus interrupted the demon by easily sweeping him up into his hand, a small smirk on his face. He pinched the back of Logan’s shirt with ease, and said, “Oh, so you’re like the guys from the bar, huh? I mean, aside from the red, you don’t have any weird colored accessories-”

“ _That’s_ because I’m not a disgusting half-breed, like those- those _mongrels_!” Logan snapped, glaring up at Janus. As the bartender’s face tightened, he cringed away, as if he’d made a grave mistake. “I- I am sorry, it was not my intention to- to offend-”

“Offense _taken_ , actually. How about you tell me a bit more about those ‘mongrels,’ huh?” Janus said, an idea occurring to him. If he could scare this weird demon… _imp,_ thing, into believing that he truly _was_ some powerful ‘Seer,’ then he’d be able to learn more about this strange new world he was being introduced to- and hopefully, he’d be able to score some more brownie points with Remus and his strange lackeys.

The imp flinched as he was raised up higher, and he looked down at the floor, too far below him for comfort. He went pale, and looked up at Janus pleadingly. “I- I’m sorry, sir! I didn’t- the fact that they are half-breeds is inoffensive! Er, half- _bloods_! I’m sorry-!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Never thought that my _own_ imp would be so rude _,”_ Janus said, smiling. He’d been right- fishing information out of Logan was easier than he’d thought. “Tell me, what all can you even do for me? What’s to stop me from chucking that ring of yours into a river, hm? Because, let me tell you, I’m kind of tempted.”

He wasn’t tempted to do that, in the slightest, but the look of pure fear on Logan’s face convinced him that he’d gotten it right- apparently, that would be disastrous for the imp.

“I- I can give you _power!_ And d- deals, for whatever you’d like, just please- I’m sorry!” Logan squeaked, drawing his legs up as he shuddered. “Don’t- please don’t drop me-”

“What, like _this-?”_ Janus asked, suddenly releasing the imp. Logan fell with a short scream, only to land in the bartender’s other palm. “Oh, sorry, you meant like _this-”_

_“Please!”_ The imp cried out, curling into a ball. “I- _don’t, I’m sorry,_ please, I didn’t mean to…”

Janus observed him for a moment, but finally took pity on Logan, and adjusted his grip to hold him more securely. He held the miniature demon closer to his chest, and carefully cupped his other hand over him. “It’s fine- I won’t drop you, don’t worry. You’re safe, just relax.”

After a few moments, he realized that he’d gone too far. He gently ran a finger down Logan’s back and took deep breaths, trying to soothe the small demon.

A few moments went by, and Janus lifted his hand with care- but Logan immediately squeaked in fear, covering his head with his arms once again. Janus frowned, and said lowly, “It’s okay, just look at me. I’m not going to drop you, I’ve just got a few more questions. Can you answer them?”

The demon shuddered within his grasp, but nodded vehemently. “Of- of course, sir, of course! What- what is it?”

“For one thing, it’s Janus,” He reminded Logan, giving him a look before promptly moving on. “And you can help by telling me how exactly you intend to ‘serve’ me. No offense, but you don’t seem like you’d be very useful.”

Logan winced visibly at that, and nodded. He adjusted his hair as he spoke, avoiding Janus’s eyes, “Well… I am not sure what- what use I would be, to a _Seer,_ but imps are typically used as- as _assistants_ , given to promising younger mages-”

“Okay, okay- let’s go back to the part where you _don’t_ lie,” Janus interrupted, and his theory was confirmed when the imp paled. “So, I’ll ask again- what do people use imps for?”

“ _Tools_ , they- they use imps as tools!” Logan immediately answered, meeting Janus’s gaze fearfully. His hands were shaking, and he scooted backwards in the man’s palm, only hesitating when his back met a wall of fingers. “I’m sorry, I just- I’m sorry, sir, please-”

“My name is Janus, you can use it- and I’m not mad, just don’t lie to me again,” Janus said, snorting softly. Even though Logan wasn’t human, he was just as easy to read as one. “So, they use imps as tools for magic, huh?”

The imp nodded, and looked down guiltily. His little chest still heaved with panicked breaths, and his hands trembled noticeably. “Yes, that- that is correct. I apologize for my deceit, I only intended to make it sound more palatable… Yes, imps are used primarily as temporary tools, for their- for their mages.”

“Temporary?” Janus asked, wrinkling his nose. “What, do they just throw you out once they’re done?”

Logan’s mouth closed, and he lowered his head slowly.

“... _oh,”_ Janus realized, cringing. “Okay, well… I don’t know what I’ll do with you, but definitely not _that…_ I mean, I don’t need any magic help, since I surpassed that a while ago.”

“I- I expected as much,” Logan said quietly, crossing his arms. “If you’re intending to- to get rid of me, I would appreciate it if you would give me to someone who would not… you know, drag it out.”

“Logan, I’m not giving you to someone who’s going to kill you,” Janus said, rolling his eyes. “You can stay here, for now. Just don’t worry about it, and I’ll figure out somewhere for you to go.”

The imp didn’t seem reassured, but Janus quickly moved on.

“Anyways, I just got home, and this wasn’t really what I expected to happen, so… I’m going to get to sleep,” he said awkwardly, motioning to the bedroom. “You want, like, a pillow or something?”

The simple consideration seemed to surprise Logan, but after a moment, he nodded. “Yes, that- that would be nice. Thank you, si- Janus…”

The bartender nodded, and before long, he was laying in his bed, staring up at his ceiling. His mind was too loud for his own tastes.

*

The next morning, Janus was awakened by his alarm blaring loudly, and had the sudden realization that he was going to be late for his shift. He’d slept well into the afternoon! He swore and jumped out of bed, a frown on his face as he ran to get dressed.

As he threw on a yellow button-down, he called out in the direction of the living room, “Logan, get up! You’re coming to work with me!”

He heard a faint, muffled response, but he ignored it in favor of getting fully dressed.

Finally, Janus grabbed the ring on the nightstand, and ran out to where he’d left Logan on the couch. With that, he scooped Logan up into a hand, and dumped him into his shirt’s pocket. “Alright, let’s go-”

“Wha- why are you taking _me_ with you?!” Logan hissed, scrambling to get his bearings in the new space. He felt like he was in a hammock on a windy day, save for the fact that the man’s movement kept slamming him into a giant chest. “ _Ow-_ did you at _least_ grab the ring?? I’m bound to it, you know.”

“Yes, yes, I have it,” Janus said absentmindedly, putting on the ring as he checked to make sure he had everything. Strangely enough, it seemed to fit his finger a bit too well- as if it was made for him. He wondered if it was magic, or if he was finally starting to lose it. “You need to stay quiet in there, okay? I’ll even button it up so you can take a nap or something.”

He only heard grumbling in response, and he snorted softly. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys, and was out the door in a flash.

As Janus drove down the street, making his way to the bar, he occasionally glanced down to the pocket. He’d nearly forgotten about the imp, frankly, and the fact that he hadn’t just _dreamt up_ the entire thing was still a shock to him.

He watched and _felt_ Logan get comfortable in the pocket, still mesmerized by the minuscule actions. It was all so similar to his own, but seeing something so familiar in such an alien way was a strange experience. 

After a few minutes of driving, he pulled up at the bar, just in time for his shift. He was supposed to be the only one operating for the majority of the day, and his shift ended before 8- hopefully, he wouldn’t run into anyone from Remus’s group of people.

The bartender quickly parked behind the back of the store and made his way inside, yawning softly. He clocked in and made his way to the register, noting that the bar’s owner had been by- there was a note by the register, written on a bright blue post-it note. It read, _‘What should you order if you just want a small drink? A marteenie!’_

“A marteenie…” Janus repeated aloud, vaguely amused. He rolled his eyes and took the note, folding it up and slipping it into the pocket of his slacks- he always heckled Patton about them, but in truth, he had taken to collecting the ones that he liked.

Plus, the fact that he had a new nickname for Logan was nice.

Speaking of, Janus glanced over to the door before smiling, reaching into his pocket to grab the imp. He lifted Logan out of the pocket and set him down onto the bar, smirking slightly as he received a glare for the act. “You really are a _small_ drink of water, you know that?”

The deadpan look he received in return almost made him laugh. Almost.

“I fail to see your point, if there is one to be made. I am aware of the fact that I am small, yes-”

“It was a joke, Logan,” Janus said, snorting. He leaned onto the bar, a small, amused smile on his face. “You’re allowed to laugh. Anyways, I have a few minutes before my shift is supposed to start, so nobody is gonna come in for a while. You can walk around the bar, I guess.”

“Oh, _wonderful_ ,” Logan said, rolling his eyes. He looked around the bar quizzically, his lip slightly pursed with the telltale signs of annoyance. Then, his brow furrowed, and he asked curiously, “Why do so many Unseelie fae come here…?”

Now _that_ was new. Janus raised a brow, and tried to appear nonchalant as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, there’s just- there’s a lot of residual magic here,” Logan said, glancing up to Janus. The bartender noted that his entire frame was stiff, as if he was expecting some type of reprimand.

“...you’re right, there’s a group of fae that come through here a lot,” Janus admitted, looking around the bar. So _that_ was what they were- fae… He wasn’t sure how Logan was apparently able to _sense_ them, but he supposed that it was just a demon thing. “Don’t worry about it. We’re on good terms.”

“It’s difficult to be on good terms with fae, especially those that aren’t full-blooded,” Logan said quietly, seeming almost amazed by the fact. “How do you just… get along with them? Are they not… off-putting?”

Janus snorted, thinking back to Remus and his goofy mustache and too-wide smile. “Uh, yeah, you could say that… You just have to watch what you say. Plus, they’re technically guests, aren’t they?”

“So, you bind them to the laws of hospitality, even within a public establishment?” Logan asked, raising a brow. Something in his eyes seemed to click, and he looked around the room with a renewed sense of understanding. “Oh… I see.”

“Yep,” Janus said, a smile on his face. Internally, he was completely bewildered, but he didn’t let that feeling show- namely, _what in the hell was the law of hospitality?_ “It works like a charm, really.”

“That is… incredible, actually,” Logan said, looking impressed. He walked across the bar, as if surveying a plot of land. “I suppose I can why they revere you to such an extent- cooperation with fae takes an extraordinary amount of willpower, especially considering the restrictions on you, as the host.”

“... _Yes_ , that- that is correct,” Janus said slowly, nodding. He considered telling Logan about what was going on, for a moment, but decided against it. “Anyways, you can just hang out below the bar, while I’m working. We’re short-staffed, so it’ll just be me, back here.”

Logan made a quiet noise of agreement, but he seemed to be lost in thought. His eyes wandered over to the end of the bar, and he asked, “Do you often get other Seers in here, as well…? Not that there is a- a _problem,_ necessarily, with that, but it’s just strange.”

“Occasionally, I suppose,” Janus responded off-handedly, shrugging as he walked around the side of the bar. He flipped the sign on the front door before finally returning to the bar, running a hand through his hair. “Nobody makes a fuss about it, in any case.”

The imp looked surprised, but nodded. He edged closer to Janus, his dark eyes glancing up to the bartender cautiously, and asked slowly, “Do I _have_ to stay down here, for the day…? I mean, if it is troublesome in any way-”

“Come on, out with it,” Janus said, a lazy smirk tugging at the side of his lips. “What do you want?”

Logan’s face went pink, and he ducked his head down. He coughed and mumbled something under his breath, finally muttering quietly, _“I- the… your pocket was…”_

It took a moment for the quiet words to register, but once they clicked, Janus snorted at the absurdity of the request. “Oh my god- you want to go _back_ into the pocket? I thought you hated that!”

“Wha- I never said that!” Logan snapped, but his tone didn’t seem very biting as his cheeks flushed even further. “I just- I would rather not be around a lot of people, that is all!”

The miniature demon was a painfully obvious liar, and Janus abruptly realized that he was having _fun,_ for the first time in a while. Talking to Logan, while absurdly weird, was actually nice. “Wow… Yeah, we need to teach you how to get better at lying. Okay, c’mere…”

Logan let out a quiet yelp as he was suddenly scooped up into Janus’s palm, but he wasn’t given much time to process the intrusion before he was, rather unceremoniously, dumped into the pocket. He took a second to breathe, and started trying to orient himself in the dark space.

Before long, the imp had made himself comfortable in the pocket, and the first customers of the day walked in. The bartender mentally prepared himself, recognizing them as college students, and plastered on a smile.

It would be a long shift.

*

Finally, Janus’s shift was nearing a close, and he was ready to go home and have dinner. He got a text from Patton, informing him that he was on his way, and relaxed. He had the next day off, thankfully, and he looked forward to being able to relax.

Just as the bartender lost himself in thought, the front door opened, and Remus walked in.

Janus felt Logan stiffen in his pocket, the imp having been dozing off for the past few hours. He could feel his companion’s heartbeat increase in pace, but he paid it no mind, and flashed the fae(?) a smile.

“Good evening, Remus. Where’s the rest of the group?”

The mustached man grinned, and Janus couldn’t help but notice how he looked a bit more nervous than usual. “Ah… actually, I came alone, for a reading. I’ll even pay with that money stuff, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

_A reading?_

A reading… that was probably a Seer thing, if he was correct. What did that mean? What was he supposed to do?

Janus gave him a small smile, inwardly panicking, and decided to wing it to the best of his ability. If his vague understanding of Harry Potter was correct, then Seers looked into the future… he hoped. “I suppose I can do that, yes… How much do you need to know?”

Remus’s eyes widened, and for a second, Janus feared that he would be found out- but then, the fae smiled. “Shit, even just a week would be cool, if you’re willing.”

Janus nodded, and Remus took a seat at the bar. The bartender took in a deep breath, scouring his mind for a moment- but finally, he held out his hand, offering it to Remus. It would help to maintain the illusion, if this was to work. “Don’t ask why, but this helps. Anything in particular you’re worried about?”

“Nah, just- you know, everyday stress,” Remus said offhandedly, taking Janus’s hand. He tapped his foot against the bar stool he sat on, and Janus immediately knew that he was lying. Why?

“Hm…” Janus hummed softly to himself, closing his eyes. Okay… he was good at bullshitting, he could do this. “The event that you worry about _will_ come to fruition, but... not in the way that you expect. You will need to trust your allies, if you are to escape with the best outcome, and remember your roots.”

When he opened his eyes, Remus looked pale. His mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes were wide- it only served to highlight how otherwordly his face appeared.

It had worked.

Janus released the fae’s hand, saying politely, “Try not to worry too much about your future. It _is_ inevitable, you know.”

“Yeah… right. Thanks, Janus, that really… yeah, that was pretty good,” Remus said, genuinely amazed. He grinned, displaying his sharp teeth once again, which never failed to disturb Janus. “Never thought I’d find an actual Seer in a place like this. Say, how’re you enjoying your gift?”

“Oh, it’s… quite nice, actually,” Janus said, giving Remus a hesitant smile. He absentmindedly rubbed a thumb over the ring on his index finger, his hands craving something to _do._ “I don’t have much experience with imps,” _or any experience, actually,_ “but he is very entertaining. Thank you, again, for giving him to me.”

“It was a gift, for the hospitality,” Remus said, inclining his head. His eyes were back to a vibrant shade of green, and he looked less anxious than he had, earlier. “Oh, and for the reading…”

The fae withdrew a few bills from his pocket, never breaking his unnerving eye contact with Janus. He deposited the cash onto the bar, grinned, and said merrily, “Toodles, Janny! Oh, hope you don’t mind some other people coming by for a reading, too!”

“Wha- wait-” Janus spluttered, his eyes wide as he glanced down to the bills, realizing that it was _way_ too much money. When he looked up again, Remus was gone, and he groaned. “Shit…”

There was movement from his pocket, and Logan poked his head out, looking around with wide eyes. He looked up and met Janus’s eyes, asking quietly, “Did- did you just do an actual _reading?_ On _command…_?”

“...you know what? I’ll tell you later,” Janus said, collecting the bills on the bar. He gently put a finger to Logan’s head, pushing him back down into the depths of the pocket, and put the money inside with him. “Just chill for now, Patton should be here soon…”

“You… you weren’t even using _magic,_ it was so natural…” Logan said, sounding like he was in awe. He didn’t object as Janus pushed him back down, and instead focused on getting comfortable again.

“Hey, Janus!”

The bartender turned around, suddenly smiling as Patton walked in from the back room. _Thank fuck._ “Oh, Patton! Would you mind if I were to clock out early? I didn’t have lunch, and I’m _starving.”_

“Yep, no problem! Have a good night, Jay!” Patton said, giving Janus a smile and a nod. “Thanks for adjusting to everything so well, I didn’t think that we’d be so shorthanded so suddenly… Oh, don’t let me hold you up, go enjoy your night!”

Janus gave the man a smile, and hurriedly left, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge. Someone was watching him.

As he made his way out to his car, he heard a muffled noise from his breast pocket, and he glanced down. “You say something?”

Logan peeked his head out from the fabric, his worried eyes meeting Janus’s own. “Someone in there had ill intent towards you…”

Janus’s eyebrows flew up, and he said uncertainly, “Uh, I think you might be imagining things, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t screw anything up tonight… I’m sure it’s nothing.”

The imp’s face didn’t relax, but Janus ignored it, getting into his car. He let out a quiet breath, and turned over the engine. “Oh, hey, do you want to come out of the pocket? Sorry, I should have let you out more during work…”

“Oh, um... “ Logan seemed to consider it for a moment, before finally nodding. “Yes, I suppose that would be nice- just… be careful?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Janus said, though Logan’s trepidation struck him as strange. Maybe he had accidentally hurt him earlier… He was especially careful as he lifted Logan out of the pocket, scooping him into an open palm with care. “Sorry, uh- here…”

He carefully put Logan down on the passenger seat, but quickly realized that it wasn’t terribly secure. The problem solved itself when Logan wrinkled his nose, walked over to the cupholder, and hopped in. With that, the imp looked up, and said, “Yes, this works. Thank you, Janus.”

Janus smiled, and couldn’t help but shake his head fondly as they drove away from the bar…

*

“So, about that reading…”

Janus glanced over to Logan, who sat on the countertop, looking curious. He looked back down at the pot of noodles that he was busy stirring, and nodded. “Yeah, that… look, let’s pretend, for a second, that I’m new to all of this.”

“New?” Logan asked, wrinkling his nose. “Wait- pardon me, but that reading was clearly coming from a place of _experience-”_

“I said we’re pretending, remember?” Janus said, raising a brow. He put a lid on top of the pot, and leaned against the countertop, biting at his lower lip in thought. “So, let’s pretend that I don’t know what fae _are,_ or what a reading is… Explain all that to me.”

“You… um, okay?” Logan said, his brow wrinkling in confusion. “Fae are beings of magic, typically associated in human myth with faerie circles and the like- they are said to have a tendency to steal humans and mortals away from this realm and take them for themselves. Readings are… predictions of the future, given by Seers. In some cases, they can be warnings, and in some cases, they are vague foretellings. Shouldn’t you know this-?”

“Okay, okay- now, let’s pretend that I don’t know what a half-blood is,” Janus interrupted him, absorbing the new information. “Explain _that_ to me.”

“A half- that’s self explanatory!” Logan said, his eyes going wide. “How on earth do you not-“

“Nope, I gave you a command, you have to follow it, right?” Janus said, crossing his arms expectantly. “So, explain.”

“I… fine,” Logan ground out, gritting his teeth. The order literally compelled him to speak, and he finally said, “Half bloods are the result of a union between a being of magic, such as a fae, and a non-magic being, such as a human. Their blood can be even further diluted, but in most cases, the child does not retain magic if there is too much dilution.”

“So, Remus and his group- they’re half-bloods,” Janus said, a small frown on his face. He vaguely recalled Logan insulting them, too. “What kind of power does that come with?”

“Most of the same things as regular fae- they can make deals, invoke magic, and use names against one another and against humans,” the imp explained, and finally paused. “But… they can not detect magic very well, unless they are using a ritual. That is one of the most distinct differences between them and full-blooded fae- and _what_ on earth are you talking about?!”

“...they _can’t_ detect magic,” Janus realized, his eyes going wide. “If they can’t even detect magic, then… I’m good. Huh…”

“Wait, wait- what do you _mean…?”_ Logan asked, his eyes widening. Then, it seemed to click, and his jaw dropped. “Are you- are you not actually a seer?”

“Uh… I mean, not _really-”_

“How can you be ‘not _really’_ a Seer?! You either _are_ one, or you _aren’t_!” Logan snapped, a frown on his face.

Janus winced at that, and sighed quietly. He turned back to the pot of noodles, and took off the lid to stir them. “No, I am not a Seer- but to be fair, it’s not like you or Remus could tell the difference-”

“Wha- that’s besides the _point_ !” Logan said quickly, his eyes widening. His posture stiffened, and his brow furrowed in outrage. “You can’t just _pretend_ to be a seer, for no reason! You’re putting both of our lives at risk, for nothing!”

“Hey, in my defense, there _is_ a reason!” Janus defended himself, giving Logan a slight glare. “They’re regulars, okay? I need to be able to get along with them, and it’s _way_ easier to do that if they think I’m one of _them-”_

“...Money, you’re doing this for _money,_ ” Logan realized, rolling his eyes. “Of course… You do realize that you are messing with actual danger, correct? Even half-bloods wouldn’t have difficulty getting rid of you, and by association, me.”

Janus snorted, giving Logan a look. “You really should have some faith in me, you know. Do I seem like an idiot, to you?”

As the imp gave him a deadpan look, he rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine, don’t answer that.”

“Mhm. Well, in any case, I would rather not be dragged along for the ride when you’re killed for being a false prophet, so…” Logan trailed off, but suddenly paused, his face falling. “...you don’t know how to unbind me from the ring, do you?”

“Uh… no, not really,” Janus said, raising a brow. He walked over to a cabinet and withdrew a colander, moving to drain the water from the spaghetti noodles. “I don’t know any magic, actually. Do you really need _me_ to do that for you, though? I thought you could cast little spells and stuff like that.”

“The bound person cannot unbind themselves- at the very least, I need a magic user to do it,” Logan said, a frown on his face. “And you don’t have _nearly_ enough magic to perform any kind of ritual…”

Janus put the pot down on the stove, and checked on the simmering saucepan, pleased with the fruits of his labor. “Well, I can ask Remus about it, maybe in return for another ‘reading’ or something. For now, let’s just have dinner, okay?”

“...right,” Logan said quietly, frowning deeply. He stood up and approached the human slowly, still feeling the shock of the revelation. “Okay… You’ll try to- to unbind me from the ring, though, right..?”

“Yeah, of course,” Janus said, smiling slightly. He made himself a bowl of spaghetti, and offered the imp a hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

Logan hesitated, but finally nodded, and shakily stepped up onto Janus’s palm. He sat down in the middle of the human’s hand, and took in a deep breath. “I… in truth, being bound has not been so bad. I’m alive, and I suppose that is something to be grateful about.”

“You don’t have to be glad to just be alive, you know,” Janus pointed out, raising a brow. He carried the imp and his dinner over to the kitchen table, but didn’t release Logan as he sat down. “Being bound to a piece of shitty jewelry must suck, and I’m sorry that I made it worse for you… I’ll do my best to fix this, I promise.”

The imp blinked, but finally hopped off of Janus’s palm as he was brought down to the table. He sat down on the table, and looked up at the human questioningly. “You know that I can bind you to that promise, right?”

“You’d be well within your rights to,” Janus said, shrugging. Despite his initial impulse to jump to his own defense, he didn’t want to make things worse. “I was an asshole, just to save face. I shouldn’t have taken that out on you, and I’m sorry.”

The sincere apology took Logan aback, but he managed to smile. “That’s a good start, I believe. Thank you, Janus.”

The human smiled, and for a moment, they sat in a comfortable silence. Then, Janus smiled, and stood up fully. “Uh, hold on, I’ll grab something for you to use as a plate. Sorry, I’m fresh out of tiny silverware, that’s my bad.”

“The laws of hospitality don’t apply here, hm?” Logan asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’re an awful host, truly.”

“Ah, that’s a shame,” Janus said, snorting. He made his way into the kitchen, and finally found an old saucer that he’d never used, tucked away into a cabinet. He wrinkled his nose at the thick coating of dust on the object, and washed it off in the sink. “I guess I’ll be cursed from now on, huh?”

“That is correct, yes- you’ll never be allowed to set foot in this place again, and I _do_ believe that soul of yours is now forfeit to me,” the imp drawled, watching Janus curiously.

“And thus, the soul of the false prophet is lowered to new lows,” Janus said, gently putting the saucer down in front of Janus. He loaded the small plate with a serving of food, and relaxed. “Oh, crap- you want a drink or something?”

“Water is fine, if it is not a problem,” Logan said, nodding. He scooted closer to his meal, and reached out to grab a noodle. It was still warm as he took a tentative bite. “Oh… oh, that is good. Thank you, Janus, this is… more than I would have expected.”

“From me, like, personally?” Janus asked, wrinkling his nose. He returned to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water for himself, and poured some of it into the cap for Logan. “Here, that’ll have to work until we figure something else out.”

“No, just… from humans, in general, I suppose,” Logan clarified, shaking his head. “Just- thank you. I truly appreciate it, even if we had a considerably rough start.”

“No problem, marteenie.”

“... _what_?”

*

The next morning, Janus was assigned the opening shift, and he found himself setting Logan down on the bar, once again, to complete his morning duties. “Hey, chill out here for a bit, okay? I need to go call my boss, and I don’t get very good reception in here.”

Logan stumbled slightly as he was put down, but managed to catch himself, a frown on his face. He had just gotten comfortable in the pocket! “Alright, I suppose… what are you calling him for?”

“Oh, he wants to interview a few new candidates to work the bar, and he wants me to be there for the process,” Janus explained, taking out his phone- sure enough, he didn’t have any bars. “Since I’m technically the assistant manager, he wants my input.”

“Ah, I see. Well, good luck, I suppose,” Logan said, shrugging. He sat down, frowning as he glanced to the unlocked entrance to the bar. “Um, maybe you could close that, just in case?”

“Don’t worry, nobody ever comes in this early!” Janus said, quickly making his way into the back room. He swore softly, walking out to the back door to get better service.

Logan watched him go, feeling… slightly patronized. Despite that, he shrugged it off, and laid down on the bar, closing his eyes. It could be worse, he supposed…

The bar was completely silent for a few minutes, until it was broken by the sound of the front door opening, ringing the bell hung above the fixture. Logan went completely still, his heart catching in his throat.

A tall, thin man strode into the bar, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his hoodie. There was a small scowl on his face, and dark circles marred the undersides of his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept- and then, his eyes locked onto the bar. More specifically, onto the imp laying atop it.

Logan sat up, his eyes wide as he locked gazes with the stranger. He stiffened, and suddenly yelled out, “ _Janus-!”_

“Shit-” the stranger swore quietly, striding forward with haste. He reached out and snatched the imp up from the bar, moving a finger to cover his mouth. “Hey, none of that- be _quiet._ Stop struggling, and this will go _way_ smoother…”

The imp let out a muffled scream from behind the finger, struggling in his grasp. His heart was suddenly racing, and he jerked his head to the side, trying to get away from the man’s finger. “ _Mmph-!_ St- stop!”

His mouth was immediately covered again, and he was given a harsh squeeze as a reprimand. “Not another word, alright? Look, I’ll give you back to your owner and shit, just be _quiet-“_

“Hey, Logan, did you need someth- oh,” Janus said, his eyes widening. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, looking from the struggling imp to the man holding him- a man that looked _very_ familiar. “Shit. Look, just- put him down, I can explain-”

“Pfft- yeah, I don’t think so,” the stranger said, but he removed his finger from Logan’s mouth. “If you want your little pet here back, unharmed, then you’re going to do what I say. Got it?”

“I am not a _pet-”_

“What is it that you want?” Janus asked, confusion written all over his face. “Like, you can come back and rob us when we’re more busy, if you’re looking for cash-“

“No, I’m not- just stop _pretending_ to be a fucking Seer!” the man snapped, glaring venomously at Janus. His grip on Logan tightened, and the miniature demon gasped for breath before it loosened again. “I _know_ you’re a hack!”

Janus froze, his eyes widening. He looked down at Logan, who looked borderline _terrified,_ and asked quietly, “And how do you know that?”

The man sneered, and said darkly, “Because it didn’t hurt you, at _all._ You- you were just _fine,_ and you played it off like it was _nothing…”_

“You’re a real Seer,” Janus said, and it wasn’t a question. “And… you’re the insomniac. You saw us last night.”

“Yeah, that’s me- and unlike you _fakes,_ I’m the real deal. People always give me shit because they think I’m one of you assholes, just _lying_ to make money.”

Janus looked over the man once more, and relaxed. He knew this guy, and he knew that he wasn’t a bad person- right now, he was just angry, and upset, and he had every right to be.

So, he smiled, and said, “How about we make a deal? The non-magical kind, I mean. You give Logan back, and we can talk. If you’re not satisfied by the end of the talk, I won’t give out any more fake readings for… eh, we’ll say for a week.”

There was a pause, and the man suddenly adjusted his grip on Logan- his index finger and thumb tightly gripped the demon’s calf, and he raised the demon up, allowing him to dangle above the floor with no support. He chuckled, and met Janus’s eyes again. “Or, I dunno, I could just _drop_ him. I’m pretty sure the fall would kill him, but maybe you’re a gambling man-”

“N- no, no, _please!”_ Logan shrieked, struggling in the man’s hold. He felt the grip on his leg tighten, and he let out a pained gasp. “Please, don’t- don’t! You’re- _you’re hurting me_!”

Janus stiffened, and he immediately started speaking. “No more prophecies or whatever! No readings, none of that- unless you give me permission, I won’t ever do one again, you have my word- just _please,_ put him down. He didn’t do anything.”

After a moment, the stranger nodded, and Logan was unceremoniously tossed to Janus. He let out a scream as he flew through the air, only to be caught by the human. He took in rapid, panicked breaths, and curled into a defensive ball as he shook. “ _N- no, no more-”_

“Shit… Hey, Logan, it’s okay, just- just breathe…” Janus said quietly, a worried look on his face. He looked up at the stranger, holding the imp closely, and finally said, “Look, the readings that I gave were vague enough that nothing would have happened, and they can be twisted pretty easily. Who am I hurting, by doing _that?”_

“When false Seers are found out, it makes the real ones- like _me-_ look bad, just by association,” the man remarked, giving Janus a glare. “Plus, we lose business, and it’s already hard enough to make a living doing this.”

“...what if I could offer you a job?” Janus proposed, a small smirk catching his lips. He gently rubbed his thumb along Logan’s back, soothing the imp as he watched the true Seer. “You’d have a steady source of income, and you could give readings to a pretty big crowd of unseelie fae.”

“...I’m listening,” the stranger said, his eyes narrowed.

“Well, I’ve heard that it’s only polite to offer your guests your name, so… you may call me Janus,” the bartender said, inclining his head.

“You can call me Virgil,” he responded, nodding in return. He glanced down at the shaking imp in Janus’s palms, and winced. “Uh… sorry, about that, by the way.”

Janus rolled his eyes, and gently tucked Logan into the pocket of his shirt. His imp would be safe while he got down to business.

*

To Janus’s credit, it worked out fairly well, in the beginning.

He and Virgil got along surprisingly well, and after some prodding, Virgil had agreed to let Janus perform some fake readings, if they split the cash and Virgil got to do some, as well.

They’d both agreed that Patton was human enough that he didn’t really need to _know_ about any of this, which had led them here.

Janus watched, his eyes wide, as Patton leaned over the bar, giggling to himself as he sent sultry glances to a patron. It was completely unbecoming of the man, and he knew that something _had_ to be wrong.

He hesitated, but finally scooped Logan out of his pocket. He subtly held the imp up, mindful to not let him be seen by other customers. “Uh… look, I can’t tell if this is magic- what do you think?”

The imp let out a few choice words at the sudden interruption of his nap, tiredly yawning as he looked up- and then, he paused. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and said, “Oh, he’s been charmed. He must’ve given his name to someone… That isn’t good. Well, for him, anyways.”

“Shit,” Janus breathed, and he followed Patton’s line of sight. There, directly across the bar, was a new fae- he’d come in for a reading a few times, but he’d gravitated more towards Virgil than to Janus. “I don’t really know that guy… I’ll call Virgil.”

“This is free entertainment, though,” Logan pointed out, motioning over to the fae that was apparently controlling Patton. “And besides, how are you supposed to stop this?”

“Easy, he just broke the law of hospitality,” Janus said, a smirk on his face. “I’ll just remind him of it.”

“Wha- _mmph!”_

Janus snorted as he allowed Logan to tumble back into the pocket, and finally looked up at the fae that controlled Patton. They had an amused smile on their face, as if it was _humorous,_ and they winked in the poor human’s direction.

Before the bartender could interfere, the fae in question spoke to one of his friends, laughed, and looked over to Patton again. He called out, _“How about giving us some entertainment, sweetheart?”_

Immediately, Patton’s eyes widened, but he couldn’t refuse the request. Janus immediately walked out from around the bar, standing between Patton and the new fae, and thought for a moment.

He gave them a sickly sweet smile and asked, “Pardon me, but was that funny? Because it seemed rather _rude,_ to me…”

The fae stiffened, their eyebrows raising up slowly. He had to be careful in his response, clearly, but he finally said, “I am not sure that I know what you’re talking about, sir. I’m sure that it is nothing-”

“Actually,” Janus cut him off, ignoring the gasps from around the table, “I think that you should leave. Using a name against a human, in _this_ establishment, is _incredibly_ rude- and you are not welcome back.”

For a beat, there was a stiff silence, and Janus could swear that the loudest noise in the bar was Logan, moving slightly in his pocket.

Then, the fae was suddenly gone, and his group of lackeys vanished in his wake. There was a soft gasp from the bar, and Janus sighed, walking back around to Patton.

“Thank you for allowing me to go to the restroom, Patton- are you feeling alright?”

Patton blinked, having to take a moment to look around and regain his bearings. He didn’t seem to quite know what was going on, but finally said, “Uh… yep, I’m okay! Sorry, guess I zoned out for a bit… Did I miss something?”

“Just a guy that thought he’d be cute and pick a fight with another guest,” Janus said, snorting. “He ran before anything fun went down.”

Patton pouted, and said good-naturedly, “Ah, dang… What a pussy. Things were getting slow around here!”

Janus’s eyebrow twitched as Patton spoke, and he heard Logan snort faintly. _Right… okay._

“Uh… yeah, for sure, Pat. Hey, how about you take a break? You know, self care and all that...”

“Okay!”

*

_One Month Later…_

“Are we sure about this? I mean, it’s not gonna hurt him or anything, right??” Janus asked, worriedly looking over the old spellbook. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the effects it would have on the ‘subject,’ and frowned. “This doesn’t seem very safe.”

“Janus, it’s fine,” Logan interrupted, shaking his head. The imp’s lips were upturned in a smile, and he glanced up at Virgil, who held a lighter in one hand. “Are we ready?”

“Yeah, everything’s all set- we just need our little lab rat in the middle,” Virgil said, snorting. He reached down and picked up one of the ritual candles, lighting it before putting it back down into the circle. “Oh, right- lab _demon,_ pardon me.”

“Don’t you forget it, either,” Logan said with a laugh, striding confidently towards the center of the circle. The imp walked over the elaborate runes and sigils, smiling as he was given the silver ring. “Okay… I’m ready.”

“Here we go,” Virgil said, a small smile on his face. He lit the final candle, and held out the needle for Logan. “Just a bit of blood on the ring should work, we don’t need a bunch. Just a drop.”

“Just a drop, and then a bunch of weird chants,” Janus corrected him, snorting. He gave Logan a reassuring smile, though, and quieted down.

“Just because you don’t understand magic doesn’t mean that it’s _weird,”_ Logan said, rolling his eyes as he pricked his finger on the aforementioned needle. 

One drop of blood later, the ritual began.

Within the hour, the ring was obsolete, and Logan was unbound from the ring. Within another hour after that, Logan and Janus were back at their apartment, enjoying their day off.

Nothing about it was normal, but they didn’t particularly mind- normal was boring, anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> Criteria given to me for this fic:
> 
> -at least 10k (self-assigned)  
> -Logan must be tiny  
> -Patton must say the word 'pussy' at least once, they don't care about the context
> 
> That's it.


End file.
